I Chose You, Imperfectly Perfectly Rescue Dogs and Their Humans by Carmen Leal Book Tour, Review & Giveaway! {Ends 4/30/23}
Inside, is a collection of memorable, beautifully written stories of dogs rescued by people and, ultimately, people rescued by dogs. If you like four-legged friends and happy endings, you’ll love Carmen Leal’s touching collection of heart-warming stories.
Book Details:
I Chose You by Carmen Leal
Publisher: EABooks Publishing
ISBN-10: 1955309035
ISBN-13: 978-1955309035
Print Copy Pages: 264 pages
Book Description:
For every pet parent who knows there’s no such thing as ‘just a dog,’ this collection of uplifting glimpses into the lives of ordinary-turned-extraordinary dogs and the people who love them is a tail-wagging good read.
Thanks to the rescue dog who saved her life after a traumatic brain injury, Carmen Leal went from saying she’d never have a dog to becoming an advocate for man’s best friend. Carmen volunteered at the local rescue shelter by writing bios and social media posts, applying for grants, and helping to save and re-home over 6,500 dogs from a high-kill shelter. This endearing anthology includes stories that celebrate the bond between canines and humans including:
Buddy the beagle who went from living chained under a porch to becoming the town’s only therapy dog
Heavenly Joy, the frightened Chihuahua who changed the life of a grumpy old man
Bogey, an abandoned mixed-breed trained by prison inmates and adopted by his forever family
I Chose You is a collection of memorable, beautifully written stories of dogs rescued by people and, ultimately, people rescued by dogs. If you like four-legged friends and happy endings, you’ll love Carmen Leal’s touching collection of heart-warming stories.
Fetch a copy of I Chose You, the feel-good book that resonates with anyone who has ever loved a dog.
Purchase a copy of I Chose You on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.
Review By LAWonder10:
Do you need a calming influence in your life or a companion you can find true loyalty f love with?
I Chose You is a very well-written nonfiction story about human needs, the needs of canines, and about rescue shelters. It is the account of the author’s personal experiences with various dogs, interspersed by other people’s touching stories of their reasons for seeking out rescued animals.
This author started life as a dog owner. anti-dog human. She was led into a situation in which she was persuaded to open her residence to a dog. She discovered the joys, frustrations, and heartbreak a dog owner experiences. Still, she became a devoted person to the beauties of being a canine owner.
The author shares share heartbreaking situation of abandoned and abused dogs as well as the positive outcome of a dog owner. She informs the reader of the importance of correct coupling between dog and human. Many rescue centers can help select a dog to fit the human’s needs and personality. Often, the dog chooses its new owner.
The author also points out there is a need for fostering a dog until training is complete or a “family fit” is found.
There is so much information presented on these pages and many well-written, interesting stories.
I found this very interesting and learned a lot.
I offer a Five Stars rating for the literary value of this book.
This book was gifted me with no pressure to post a positive review. This is my honest review.

Meet the Author:
Carmen Leal is a storyteller and the author of multiple books, articles, devotionals, and human-interest stories. Carmen relocated from Hawaii to Oshkosh, yes, there is a story behind the move and has become an awesome dog mom. Carmen and her husband have become reluctant gardeners and know a crazy amount about Wisconsin weeds. She is the mother of two sons, two incredible grandsons, and Coconut, the best imperfectly perfect rescue dog in the world. Learn more about Carmen and Coconut by visiting carmenleal.com.
Website ~ Wagaway Publishing ~ Wagaway Interviews (more to come) ~ Facebook ~ Author’s Facebook ~
The Tour Schedule:
April 17th @ The Muffin – Launch
April 18th @ Pages & Paws- \https://pagesandpaws.com/
Join Kristine for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
April 18th @ Rockin Book Reviews – https://www.rockinbookreviews.com
Visit Lu Ann’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
April 20th @ Pages & Paws – https://pagesandpaws.com/
Visit Kristine’s blog again for a guest post by the author about the lifesaving value of dogs.
April 22nd @ A Wonderful World of Words – https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
Visit Joy’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal. You can also win a copy of the book too!
April 24th @ Finished Pages – https://finishedpages.com/
Join Renee for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
April 24th @ Writer, Writer Pants on Fire ~ https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog
Join Mindy for a guest post by Carmen Leal about the challenges facing rescues and shelters post-COVID.
April 25th @ Barbara Barth’s Art and Words ~ https://barbarabarthartandwords.blogspot.com/
Join Barbara for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
April 26th @ A Storybook World ~ http://www.astorybookworld.com/
Join Deirdra’s blog for a guest post by Carmen Leal about buying a home long distance and the challenges of living in a house built in 1875.
April 28th @ The Mommies Review ~ https://www.themommiesreviews.com/
Join Glenda for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
April 30th @ Seaside Book Nook ~ http://www.seasidebooknook.com/
Visit Jilleen’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 1st @ World of My Imagination ~ https://worldofmyimagination.com
Visit Nicole’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 2nd @ Literary Quicksand ~ https://literaryquicksand.com/
Visit Joli’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 3rd @ Beverley A. Baird’s blog ~ https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
Join Beverley for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 4th @ Knotty Needle ~ http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
Join Judy’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 5th @ Adventures With Canines ~ https://adventureswithcanines.com/
Join Sara’s blog for a guest post by Carmen Leal about her upcoming books and how your readers can be featured in my next rescue dog book.
May 6th @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews ~ https://lisahaselton.com/blog/
Join Lisa for her interview with Carmen Leal about her book I Chose You.
May 7th @ What Is That Book About ~ https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/
Join Michelle for a feature of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 8th @ Adventures With Canines ~ https://adventureswithcanines.com/
Visit Sara’s blog again for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 10th @ Beverley A. Baird’s blog ~ https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
Visit Beverley’s blog again for a guest post by Carmen Leal about moving from Hawaii to Wisconsin after 60 and how to make a new life.
May 11th @ The Mommies Review ~https://www.themommiesreviews.com/
Visit Glenda’s blog again for a guest post by Carmen Leal about why rescuing a dog makes sense.
May 13th @ Storeybook Reviews ~ https://storeybookreviews.com/
Visit Leslie’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 14th @ Book Reviews from an Avid Reader ~ https://bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/
Visit Joan’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 15th @ Word Magic ~ https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/
Join Fiona for a guest post by Carmen Leal about the difference between a rescue, shelters, and fostering.
May 18th @ Liberate and Lather ~ https://liberateandlather.com/blog
Join Angela for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
May 21st @ Balance and Joy ~ http://www.balanceandjoy.com/
Visit Sheri’s blog for her review of I Chose You by Carmen Leal.
Giveaway Details:
Join us at WOW as we celebrate the launch of I Chose You by Carmen Leal. Read an interview with the author and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book.

Great review! Thank you for such a glowing feature of this memoir!
Thank you for your lovely review. I so appreciate the time you took to read the book and write and post the review. I love your blog and can’t wait to read more reviews.
Thank you, Carmen,
The pleasure was mine. I enjoyed all the stories. I feel you are doing a great work.
I hope your husband recovers well. I TOTALLY understand medical bills. They are so extreme and debilitating to one’s finances.
Keep up the great work!
Lu Ann